MLB analyst bemoans recent Boston Red Sox roster decisions: "There's a real chance that Mark Bellhorn leads the team in jersey sales"
The Boston Red Sox haven't had the off-season that they had hoped for. They saw their All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts sign an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
He had spent his entire 10-year career with Boston. Bogaerts was a core member of the team when they won the World Series in 2018. He was a fan-favorite in Boston. Fans were devastated when they learned that they'd be without their four-time All-Star.
"Fans rightfully don't trust the Red sox to sign Rafael Devers to an extension and every other player, for the most part, is gone. There's a real chance that Mark Bellhorn leads the team in jersey sales this holiday season." Said MLB analyst Jared Carrabis
Fans rightfully don’t trust the Red Sox to sign Rafael Devers to an extension and every other player, for the most part, is gone, so there’s a real chance that Mark Bellhorn leads the team in jersey sales this holiday season.
Carrabis states that with how the organization has handled its star players in the past, fans don't trust the organization to keep Rafael Devers around. Others can't blame them. They've witnessed the team mishandle Mookie Betts and now Xander Bogaerts.
Devers is set to become a free agent following the 2023 season. He'll make a little over $17 million next season.
The Boston Red Sox can't turn into the Oakland Athletics
The Boston Red Sox aren't a small-market team, but they've been acting like one. They're a big-market team with a small-market team mindset.
They didn't want to pay the massive price it would have cost to keep Betts around. Instead, they let the LA Dodgers give him a contract he couldn't turn down.
While big-market teams like to build their teams through free-agent signings, the Red Sox work differently. They're big investors in the MLB Draft, and when their star players get too big, they tend to send them elsewhere.
This way of thinking further distances the way that free agency plays out. It only allows for a couple of teams to battle for big-name free agents. We've seen that with how the San Diego Padres have acquired players this off-season.
Boston can't let Devers walk next season. He's been one of their most consistent forces at the plate. Over his entire professional baseball career, he's never let his batting average dip below .240. He is a complete threat at the plate.
"The coming weeks for Devers sre crucial for the Red Sox..." Said Jon Morosi on MLB Network's Hot Stove.
"The coming weeks for Devers are crucial for the Red Sox..."
After losing Xander Bogaerts in free agency, the Red Sox could look to extend Rafael Devers.
#MLBNHotStove | @jonmorosi https://t.co/2qGlCxDm7D
It will be interesting to see how the team navigates this situation regarding their star third baseman.